Arthur Jones gets $10 million guaranteed at signing

Since NFL contracts aren’t fully guaranteed, the most important numbers for the contracts signed in free agency are the fully guaranteed amounts.

For new Colts defensive end Arthur Jones, signed Tuesday from the Ravens, the amount he’ll certainly earn at the time he applied pen to paper is $10 million.

Per a source with knowledge of the terms, that comes from a $5.5 million signing bonus and a fully-guaranteed 2014 base salary of $4.5 million.

Jones also has $6 million in 2015 base salary guaranteed for injury only. It becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2015 league year. Which means that, if Jones doesn’t suffer an injury in 2014 so serious that it prevents him from playing in 2015, the Colts can cut him after one season.

The five-year deal has a full value of $33 million. For now, all he knows that he’s getting for certain is $10 million.

Arthur Jones is a good player, but after watching him for four years, I wouldn’t jump for joy at signing him. He’s not much in the pass rush and did not often require a double team on run plays. A solid, journeyman lineman who probably won’t get much better than he is now. Worth $6.5m? I guess it depends. Obviously the Ravens, who aren’t exactly blessed with a surfeit of D-linemen didn’t think so. When Ozzie passes on a guy, it should give you pause. Very few Ravens free agents that signed elsewhere have earned their money; particularly on defense.

floratiotime says:Mar 13, 2014 5:35 AM

Wait till Luck finishes his rookie deal. That will end the good times, so enjoy them now Colts fans.